The Black Ship Nevermore
by Isabella Raven
Summary: Now in Tortuga, Jack begins to see something behind the mask Isabella has been hiding behind for decades.
1. Captain Isabella Raven

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks! 

~~~ ~~~ 

**Captain of the Nevermore**   
Sailing across the sea   
A pirate's life meant for me   
A ship, a crew, sailing strong   
Across the sea   
  
I'd take a ship, I'd take a crew   
I'd take me chances, Johnny bold   
A crew from Tortuga   
To sail the Caribbe'   
  
I'll take on anyone,   
The British or Spanish fleet   
I'll take on the Pearl herself   
And Captain Jack Sparrow too   
  
No pirate ship, no merchant ship,   
No navy ship I fear   
For I've the finest ship that sailed   
The broad blue Caribbe'   
  
Aboard the black ship Nevermore   
That sailed on every sea   
The finest crew that ever sailed   
Under the boldest captain be   
  
And the captain of the Nevermore   
Be the one to sing this song   
Isabella Raven be me name   
Captain of the Nevermore   
  
Sailing across the sea   
A pirate's life meant for me   
The Nevermore sailing strong   
Across the blue Caribbe' 

~~~ 

The voice was hearty and distinctly feminine, carrying easily across the water to where the Black Pearl floated in the fog. Captain Jack Sparrow frowned, tilting his head, listening to the lyrics of the song. _Who the bloody hell is this woman? Me Pearl is the finest ship that sails the Caribbean!_

He sensed someone coming up behind him, and heard the voice of Gibbs speak up. "What're ye staring at, Cap'n?" 

"Nothing. Just listening." Jack listened as the woman paused, then launched into the song again. She'd been singing that same bloody song since he first heard the voice coming from the fog. Once this fog lifted, he was going to find that ship, and that woman, and make sure she got exactly what one of the lines said she'd do. _You're going to take on the Pearl and her captain, and see you haven't got the finest ship in the Caribbean._

His thoughts were cut off by Gibb's cry of alarm, and he cursed as a black shape loomed out of the fog, heading straight for the Pearl. Spinning the wheel, he continued his muttered cursing as he tried to steer the Pearl out of his way. So focused was he on saving his ship that he didn't notice the singing had been replaced by a similar set of curses, and the woman's voice yelling orders to her crew. 

The ships passed close enough to scrape hulls, and Jack winced at the grating noise, promising that if anything happened to his Pearl, he'd strangle the other captain. 

"If ye're goin' ter strangle me, Captain Jack Sparrow, ye'd need a bit o' luck." There was amusement lacing the woman's voice, and Jack looked across to the other ship, where a woman stood behind the wheel, a sardonic, mocking grin playing on her lips. She had thick black hair that wrapped in heavy braids around her skull, and black eyes the danced with amusement in her pale face. She was dressed in a pair of clinging breeches, and a loose white shirt topped with a black leather vest, and a heavy black coat was thrown across the rail of the deck. 

Before he could respond, the ship passed him, disappearing into the fog. Jack cursed fluently and creatively, his volume rising to be heard through the fog, and all he got in return was ghostly laughter. 

"Try an' find me once thae fog lifts, Captain Jack Sparrow. If ye find me, ye have more than a bit o' luck." There was more of the echoing laughter before it vanished, like the ship itself, into the fog. 

~~~ 

Isabella Raven whistled as she steered her ship around the promontory, and into the deep harbor of the tiny island she called her home base. She looked up at the cloudy, stormy night sky briefly before calling out to her men to secure the ship, and let down the anchor. Not that the Nevermore would be going anywhere. _Not without her ghostly captain on board._

Her cheery whistle died as that thought crossed her mind, causing her first mate, a sharp-eyed Scot, to look up at her. 

"Captain?" 

"Nothing, Conner. Just a sterm." She fixed her attention on her ship, locking the wheel before leaping down to help her men with the boats. _Not just a storm, and he knows it._ She could feel exactly where she had anchored in the storm that had taken her ship down, and the entire crew with it. _He knows what I paid to keep my crew alive, what I paid to get them home to Tortuga. What were you thinking, Isabella, when you made that bargain with the devil?_

"Aye. It's a nasty one, at that." Conner launched the boat that would take her, and handed her the rope that she slid down with practiced ease. He followed soon, taking the oars, ignoring her protests as he took them across the choppy waters to the fine white sands of the tropical paradise. 

_Not that it matters. Only in the dark am I real. Only then do I hunger, only then do I thirst, only then do I feel. Only then am I alive again._ Isabella snorted, drawing another worried glance from her first mate. _Alive. If you can call that living. Hmm. Better than what I heard befell the Black Pearl and her crew, at least._

"You're thinkin' again, Captain. What be the trouble fer ye tonight?" 

"I made a deal wit' thae devil ter save thae lives and souls of me crew, Conner. What else would be me trouble?" Isabella scowled as she stared back at the black-hulled ship that floated serenely on the water. The glittering diamonds in the eyes of the raven that was the figurehead mocked her, her ship reminding her what she'd done to those who should have mattered more to her than her crew. 

"Ye did what ye had to do to save yer crew, Captain. Tain't a person who'd blame ye." Conner followed her as she stalked into the lush jungle towards a small tomb. 

"Tell that ter me brother, Conner. Tell that ter me nephew who ne'er drew breath. Tell that ter me own daughter, who died dancin' at thae end of a hangman's rope as I watched, unable ter do a damned bloody thin' in thae noonday sun." Isabella's voice was harsh. "What price did I pay ter give a crew who fergot me after we reached Tertuga again, and fergot thae ghost ship that thae Nevermore is now?" 

Conner remained silent, letting Isabella rage. The tomb held the body of a young woman, barely seventeen when she'd been hung for piracy. The body of Isabella's only daughter, her only child. One of her blood that had paid the price for the lives of the crew of the Nevermore fourty years ago. Fourty years that Conner had spent aboard the Nevermore, first as a cabin boy, then as crew, and for the last fifteen years as first mate. Soon he'd have to pass the responsibility of keeping the captain's secrets to another. 

"Captain, remember what we were talkin' about the last time we were here?" Conner watched his captain with concern. He hoped she'd let him leave. 

"I know, Conner. Yer woman wants ye home. As do yer son and yer daughter. I'll leave ye in Port Royal ter her tender care. I'll pick another boy up somewhere, ter take care o' me. Not that he'll be doin' much o' that. I'm perfectly capable o' keepin' meself safe, as damn well ye know it." 

Conner nodded. "I'll leave ye here, than. When we be sailin' again?" 

"With thae next moonless night, Conner. Than we sail ter Port Royal, and I go ter Tertuga after that." Isabella turned to walk further into the jungle, and Conner sighed, heading back to the beach, and the huts hidden in the jungle much closer to the water. No one wanted to sleep this deep in the jungle with the ghost stories, except the captain. 

_What comes of her bein' a ghost herself. She tain't afraid of a ghost story._


	2. On the Waters of Hell

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks! 

~~~ ~~~ 

**The Curst Waters o'Hell**   
  
I sail the waters o' hell   
A demon ship beneath me feet   
Nightmares me only companions   
Beneath hellish daylight skies   
  
I made a deal with thae devil   
Ter save a faithless crew   
An' now I sail thae waters alone   
Through thae dark fires o' hell   
  
It be me time ter rest   
When by me side do sail   
Another soul ter save me dreams   
From these nightmares o' hell 

~~~ 

Jack sailed the Pearl smoothly into dock in Tortuga, a contemplative frown on his face, hoping that he'd be able to forget about that annoying woman and her blasted ship he'd seen in the fog a few days ago. How the hell she could manage to insinuate herself into his thoughts, and blast it all, dreams, so quickly he hadn't a clue. But he had every intention to wipe her out of his mind. _Easier said than done, mate._

"How long we staying in Tortuga, captain?" Annamaria was leaning against the railing, her head tilted, and an eyebrow raised in question. 

"A few days. I'll find everyone when I'm ready to leave." Jack sauntered off after his crew, quite sure his ship would be where he left it when he got back, and headed for the nearest tavern. Some rum and a pretty wench would solve the problem he'd been having quite nicely. 

"Have you heard? The Nevermore is returning to Tortuga again...." Jack got by the conversation quickly enough, but it was enough to ruin his mood. 

_So now I'm getting a cosmic slap in the face, am I?_ He shook his head, and stepped into the nearest tavern, quickly getting a drink, and looked around for a pretty wench. It didn't take him long to find one, and convince her that she'd want to spend the night with Captain Jack Sparrow. 

~~~ 

The next morning, Jack had a scowl on his face as he headed back for the Pearl. Tortuga was full of people talking about the Nevermore as if it was some bloody legend. 

"Cap'n!" Gibbs came hurrying up to him, and Jack favored him with a frown. "The Nevermore, the ship we encountered in the fog, there's something...." 

_Have I done something to deserve a cosmic slap in the face? I'm trying to forget about the bloody woman and her bloody ship!_

"Captain, the Nevermore is a ghost ship." Gibbs took a swig from his flask as Jack returned his attention to his first mate. 

"What did you say?" 

"The Nevermore, she and her captain aren't alive no more. They're a ghost ship." 

Jack started walking again, the rolling gait he always had vanishing as he went back towards the Pearl. _Another ghost ship. Just what I need. For your information, I did not deserve that slap!_ He turned to Gibbs as the man followed him. "Find the crew. We're sailing on the tide." 

_And I'm going to find this bloody ship and her bloody woman captain, and prove this ghost story wrong, savvy? Jack, you're talking to yourself again. That isn't healthy._ He shook his head, a slightly crazy grin coming to his face as he began to hum a tune. _..a pirate's life for me!_

~~~ 

_"What have you done, Izzie?" Liam's voice was accusing. "What have you done to us?" He faded into view from the grey fog that shrouded the moors of their father's birthplace and theirs, his shirt gaping away from the hole blown into his chest by a ship's cannon. _

"Liam, I'm..." Isabella trailed off as another figure came from the fog. A girl barely twelve, with her father's bright blue eyes, and mother's golden wheat hair. 

"Why, Aunt ÔBella?" Her voice was soft, her eyes brilliant with tears of hurt. 

"Ye traded us for scum, mother! Ye traded me life fer a bunch of bastards; traded me soul fer naught." The dark brown eyes of her daughter met Isabella's as she spun to face the seventeen-year-old. 

"No..." 

"My son. You killed my son before he even could live!" Isabella whirled again, her eyes meeting the angry green of her sister-in-law's, tears welling up to blur the image of the woman with the body of a lifeless infant in her arms. 

"I'm sorry. I didnae know. Please...." Isabella tried to back away, only to run into her brother, who gripped her arms. 

"You're going to pay too, Izzie. You'll come join us soon enough. Join us in hell...." 

~~~ 

Isabella woke with a scream, bolting upright in her bed, the rocking of her ship soon reminding her where she was, soothing her only slightly. The Nevermore always knew when she was troubled, when she was in trouble, with the semblance of life it had been given fourty years ago. _It's only a dream. A nightmare, certainly, but only a dream. This time. At least thae crew is safe on thae island. Nae need fer them ter hear me screams as I sail thae waters o' hell in me dreams._

She stood, throwing back the covers, and grabbed clothes, dressing quickly before heading up on deck. Around her, the water glowed red with unholy light, the sun blazing high above her head through a haze of smoke. A sardonic smile creased her face as she leapt to grip the wheel, the Nevermore responding smooth as silk to her touch on the wheel, guiding it through the wreckage of a ship, wreckage she recognized as she would her own reflection. _Thae Nevermore. Here me ship rests, while I sail a demon ship. A demon ship wit' me own ship's face an' me own ship's name. A devil ship that's me own now._

The red light sparked flaming highlights in her thick black hair, and lit the depths of her black eyes with the same unholy fire. Isabella was aware of the fear she would inspire if her own crew was still aboard when the sun or moon rested on the ship, aware that she'd loose the crew in an instant if the knew the horror that their captain truly was. _More than a ghost, but a damned soul that sails curst waters in a demon ship. Damned superstitious fools would think them own selves curst thae same as me by bein' Ôere._

"So our good captain decided to come and sail with us again, did she?" Isabella snorted at the comment from the slim man who stood leaning against the rail. 

"So ye finally got yer due, did ye, Shane? Tis about bloody time ye did." Isabella spun the wheel, making Shane grip the railing tightly, or risk being tossed overboard. "Ye an' those faithless curs ye called companions." 

"You called us companions once yourself, Captain." Shane shoved away from the rail, stalking towards her. "You once called us brothers." 

"That was before ye abandoned me an' thae Nevermore. Before ye left me an' me ship in Tertuga, an' vanished so I couldnae find ye, Shane. All I found was a boy lookin' fer a way off Tertuga, e'en if Ôe was sailin' on a curst ship." 

"So I heard. Conner Riley. A man with a wife in Port Royal, and two small children, who want him home, not sailing on a pirate ship that will get him hung in the end. By the good Commodore Norrington who lives in Port Royal, much as I ended my days there but yesterday at noon." Shane grinned, one hand closing around the wheel. "Time to begin welcoming home your crew, Captain." 

~~~ 

Jack ignored the looks that passed between his crew as he whistled, steering the Pearl with ease, occasionally looking down at his compass. He managed to keep a frown off his face as the thing spun crazily, not settling on any one direction, and shook it. _Blasted thing. There isn't a thing here, yet it's insisting there is. What the bloody hell is wrong with it?_ He shook it again, then shrugged, tucking it back into his coat, turning his face up to look over the water. A small island was directly ahead of them, and he grinned, heading for it. 

There was a natural harbor, deep, and well protected on either side by high promontories. The beach was fine, glittering white sand, in stark contrast to the cerulean blue water and the dark green of the jungle, nearly blinding in its intensity. Jack called out orders to drop the anchors, curious about the island now. 

A rumble of thunder in the distance made him frown, and look to the east. Grey clouds smudged the horizon, and sent streamers of dark color across the bright blue sky. A storm was approaching fast, and Jack's face took on an expression of mild confusion. There had been no warning of an approaching storm. 

"Furl the sails and batten down the ship for a storm!" Jack locked the wheel, directing his crew in preparing for the storm, keeping one eye on the darkening sky. So focused was he on the coming storm and his ship that he didn't notice the ghostly form that began to form in the exact center of the small cove, masts rising towards the coming clouds like skeletal fingers, shrouded with their spider's web of rigging, black hull gleaming with moisture in the sullen light, sails filled with an unearthly breeze. 

"Captain!" The cry from one of his crew made Jack spin, and his eyes widened as the figurehead of a ship came into sight, the diamond eyes of a raven glittering at him with a brief semblance to unholy life. 


	3. Crazy Proposals

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks!   
And thanks to my reviewers so far, evilspoofauthor1Sven, Alex, and Sokorra Lewis. I do hope you enjoy this third chapter, and I promise I will get the next one out in less than a week (though I won't promise any shorter length of time...). 

~~~ ~~~ 

**Thae Curst Waters o' Hell (con't)**   
  
Each day I see little more   
O' me die inside   
Each day I see little more   
Fade into thae hellish skies   
  
Look into me black eyes   
And see nothin' starin' back   
I look into me mirror   
A soulless woman stares me back   
  
A soulless ghost ter wander   
Thae curst waters o' hell   
A lonely spirit ter wonder   
What fer she sold her soul   
  
A faithless crew an' a demon ship   
A loveless lie an' a lost heart   
Me family dead an' none ter mourn   
Thae lost soul o' a pirate woman 

~~~ 

Isabella leaned against the wheel of her ship, her face raised to let the wind caress it, a smile playing on her lips at the coming of a storm. Behind her, she could hear her guest pacing the deck, muttering things under his breath every so often. "Ye know, ye could try talkin' ter me, instead o' ter thin air, Cap'n Jack." She turned, pushing herself upright, and looking down at the man who paced the main deck. "Ye might get better results." 

Jack stopped pacing, turning to look at her with an odd expression on his face, one of mingled annoyance and confusion. 

Isabella sighed. "It be a long story, Cap'n Jack, an' I donnae need ter tell ye. Aye, I be a ghost, an' me ship be one as well, but durin' a sterm, or in thae fog, or durin' a moonless night, I be as real an' alive as ye, as real an' alive as me crew. An' no, it ain't like thae curse that got Barbossa an' his crew o' mutineers." She paused. "An' if ye be willin' ter join me, I be needin' sommat ter eat." She slid down the rail to the main deck, and stalked towards the boats. 

Jack followed, taking the oars to row them towards the island despite her glare, where a fire pit had been going for a while now, roasting meat for a meal, to which the grinning first mate had invited his crew. Not him, just his crew. 

"Ye know I'm perfectly capable of rowin' thae boat meself." 

"Aye, mate." Jack kept his answer uncharacteristically short, still trying to figure her out, Isabella supposed. She shook her head, preparing to leap out as soon as they were close enough for her to wade in. 

_Men. All thae same, ne'er believin' ye can do on yer own. An' this one 'as a woman in 'is crew, so why Cap'n Jack's bein' such a bloody fool...._ She shook her head to clear her thoughts, leaping lightly into the surf, and stalking towards the beach, drenching herself to the skin. Not that she cared. 

"Captain! Come an' eat!" Conner grinned at her, looking over her shoulder at Jack as the annoying man joined her. "An' Captain Jack. What a pleasure it be!" 

~~~ 

Jack sat near Isabella in the doorway to a small hut that she'd led him to, deep in the jungle. He could see a tomb rising from the mists that were all that penetrated this far beneath the canopy, curiousity rising. "Who's the tomb for, luv?" 

He could feel the angry glance Isabella shot at him. "That be me business, an' no other. Ye leave it be." 

"Sorry, didn't know it was so tender a subject." His voice was glib, certainly not the tone one would take for an apology. _Unless you're Captain Jack Sparrow._

"Ye be careful wher' ye tread, Cap'n Jack. Ye be findin' yerself in over yer head if ye don'." Isabella was staring out at the tomb, her eyes troubled, though her expression remained blank, as it had been since they landed on the beach. 

"Luv, you're forgetting one thing. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." He grinned, turning to look at her, and got a sigh in response. 

"Ye donnae know when ter leave well enough alone, do ye? Donnae say I dinnae warn ye." She paused, drawing in a deep breath. "Fourty years back, me ship an' me crew were ridin' out a sterm in that harbor yer ship an' me own be in now. Nasty sterm, worse than this. An' lightning hit thae ship. Ignited thae powder. We dinnae ha' a chance ter get off before thae Nevermore was blown apart. We sank that day. 

"I made a deal wit' thae devil ter save me crew, an' 'e gave me a demon ship ter git them back ter Tertuga. But thae price. Thae price was beyond what I imagined, all ter save a faithless crew that left me wit' no crew ter sail me ship. Every bleedin' one I cared aboot died. Quickly, an' nae pleasently. Me daughter, she danced at thae end o' a hangman's rope in thae noonday sun. I could nae do anythin'. She was seventeen. Me niece, me nephew, me brother an' 'is wife. Me daughter's father. All o' them be dead now, been dead some near fourty year." Isabella smiled, the expression slightly insane, and Jack shivered involuntarily. 

"That's quite a story, luv...." 

Isabella stood, her eyes blazing with an unholy light deep inside them. "It be thae truth, ye over-grown ox! If ye didnae want ter believe me, ye could have kept yer mouth shut, an' not been so much a fool as ter press me." She spun, and stalked away, leaving Jack blinking in confusion, trying to figure out what he did wrong for a moment before heading after her. 

Isabella stood on a cliff that overlooked the harbor, where the gale shrieked and spun about her, the storm's intensity gathering strength. _A hurricane, be like._ She lifted her head to the wind, closing her eyes to let it blow back the loose strands that curled about her face. _Sterm like thae one tha' took me ship, an' me soul._ A laugh began deep in her throat, a mirthless chuckle that melded with the storm winds to create an unearthly sound of bitter regrets. 

"Aye, Lucifer, ye damned bastard! Ye caught me in me words once, but ye tain't be catchin' me again!" Her voice was nearly lost in the wind, barely audible at the tree line where Jack stood. "Ye'll be sorry fer thae day ye ever made deal wit' me! Ye hear me, ye sorry excuse o' a fallen angel?" She raised a fist, shaking it at the storm, the wind howling in her face to plaster her sodden clothing to her skin, outlining her well-built form and sleek limbs. 

Jack felt a lopsided smile form on his face, surprised at the woman who now glared out at the ocean, threatening the devil himself without an ounce of fear. _Now there is my kind of woman._ He chuckled, making her whirl, and glare at him instead. 

"How long ye been standin' there, ye soddin' bastard?" Her voice was a harsh sound of pure anger, her eyes blazing with a fire that was all her own, and not the hellish light he'd swear he'd seen earlier. 

"Not long, luv, not long." He smiled at her anger, stepping out of the trees to join her on the cliff edge. "It's a lovely view from up here. You come up here often?" He had to shout to be heard over the wind, but he didn't care, keeping his earlier grin on his face, Isabella regarding him as if he'd perhaps grown an extra head. 

"Cap'n Jack, ye are thae strangest man I e'er met. Ye'd grin and laugh in thae face o' death, I suppose." 

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. What else did you expect?" He grinned and bowed for effect, hearing a dry chuckle from Isabella, who shook her head, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth. 

"Aye, what else did I expect from ye?" Isabella paused, a light shining in her eyes that effectively doused Jack's mirth. "What say ye ter spendin' a day aboard thae Nevermore wit' me? After thae sterm passes." 

Jack stared at her a moment. _Are you daft? You have the Pearl to worry about, Jack. Don't even think about that proposal for a minute._ He'd never been one to listen to that inner voice of caution, unfortunately. "Why not?" He grinned again, and Isabella looked surprised, as if she'd expected him to turn her down. _What are you getting yourself into now, Jack?_

~~~ 

Isabella spent the rest of the storm out by her daughter's grave, silent and brooding, only moving once to go releave herself, and grab a small something to eat. _Why did ye make him that offer, Isabella? Are ye a daft fool?_ She chuckled mentally, a dry sound without any amusement. _Or is he thae one to be daft, acceptin' without thinkin' on it a whit? How will sommat thae things that ye see affect him? Can 'e deal wit' where ye be sailin' until thae next moonless night, or sterm, or foggy mornin'? Aye, it like to be only a day, since thae moon be on thae wane, near ter be thae new moon, but...._

Her thought were cut off by the arrival of Jack. He'd gone down to the beach to tell his crew what crazy adventure he was off on now, and he'd been delayed getting back up to where Isabella perched in the jungle. "The storm's nearly over." He offered his hand to help her up, and Isabella looked at it a moment before she accepted it, allowing Jack to haul her to her feet. 

"We be wantin' on board thae Nevermore before thae sterm is quite over. After that it be quite a ride, Cap'n Jack, if ye still be feelin' up ter it." Jack looked offended at the very idea that he'd back out of this, and Isabella shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "Jist pray ye donnae be regrettin' it afterwards." 


	4. The Demon Ship Nevermore

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks! 

~~~ ~~~ 

**Curst Waters o' Hell (con't)**   
  
Only when thae night be dark   
Or thae skies be spittin' sterm lights   
Can I be real as any other   
And feel thae heart lost ter me   
  
Only when thae fog be thick   
Or the moon be hiding 'er face   
Can I hunger, thirst and feel   
Want an' pray ter die   
  
Can there ever be any rest   
Fer a curst soul o' the likes o' me   
Can there be anyone   
Ter say they care fer me 

~~~ 

Jack frowned as they rowed out to the Nevermore. "Your crew..." 

"They not be comin'." Isabella interrupted him with a preemptory gesture. "They tain't be fool enough ter be aboard thae Nevermore in thae sunlight." Her dryly amused smile made it clear what she thought of his simple acceptance of her invitation. 

He shook his head, looking up at the clearing sky. The clouds were bright with the sunlight hidden behind them, that would soon break free. Isabella gave all the appearance of being unconcerned, as she hauled on the oars, sending the small boat cutting through the water towards the black bulk of her ship. It bore the heavy armorment and broad outline of a galleon, though the raven that adorned the prow with its glittering diamond eyes was certainly not like any one Jack had ever seen on any ship. 

"Why a raven for a figurehead?" He regarded it with curiosity, wondering where the resemblance to life had come from the last time he'd looked at it. Now the eyes glittered like the treasure they were, with no signs of the hellish light he'd seen before. 

"Me name sake, an' me favorite bird." Isabella shrugged. "It be what I wanted, an' so it be what I 'ave." She reached up for the rope ladder that dangled against the side of the ship, leaving the boat to float next to the Nevermore as she hauled herself up towards the deck. With a shake of his head, Jack followed. 

Isabella was resting a hand on the wheel as he came over tha rail, her eyes turned to the brightest portion of the clouds, a frown of concentration on her face. She turned her face away to lock his eyes with her own as the sun broke through the clouds, spilling over them in a wave of golden heat. For a moment, at least, before it was hidden again behind a haze of smoke, though it still beat down, the temperature rising as the light took on a hellish hue, casting red highlights through Isabella's hair and unholy fire into her eyes. 

Jack's eyes widened as the island vanished, replaced by barren, jagged rocks, the wreckage of a ship scattered on the water around them. 

"That's thae Nevermore, truth ter tell. Thae ship yer on is a demon ship, tain't me Nevermore, or least it weren't, nae till verra recent." Isabella shrugged. "I hope ye nae be regrettin' comin' aboard, Cap'n Jack. Until thae sun goes down, we be sailin' thae waters o' hell." 

Jack turned slowly on one heel, looking at the ocean that surrounded them, before coming to stand across the wheel from Isabella. "Than we're here for the whole day?" His lips twitched, curling up at the ends in a seductive smirk, and Isabella laughed, flashing surprisingly white teeth. 

"I'll be thankin' ye not ter be thinkin' tha' I be doin' somethin' as ye seem ter be thinkin' when I be thae only one ter sail me ship 'ere." A sparkle of amusement lit her eyes, banishing the hellish red light from them for a moment. "Iffen ye be up ter helpin' me, I be thinkin' there be work enough." 

Jack grinned, bowing broadly. "What would you have me do, Captain?" 

~~~ 

Shane watched the two from where he leaned against the main mast, high in the crow's nest. _Did you think I would have left, Captain?_ Even in his thoughts he couldn't get rid of the accursed habit of referring to Isabella as Captain. No other captain had commanded his respect, and when he'd had a ship of his own, the first thing he'd done was get caught by Norrington. _The man is quite good at his job, I will give him that. But I would not have been caught if I'd still been aboard the Nevermore. Had the ship never sunk. I will not sail aboard a demon ship.... I wouldn't when I lived. And somehow, I will live again, and you will greatly regret your words to me, Captain. I'll have your soul, and your ship, resurrected from the depths. Properly, this time._

Leaving his thoughts, Shane made his way back down to the main deck, swinging out of the rigging to land on the solid wood with a thump, his feet quickly finding purchase on the rolling deck. He smiled, a sinister little smile that had made his reputation since leaving the Nevermore as a man never to cross. To his surprise, it had no visible effect on the man who'd turned when he'd hit the deck. _Well this is a surprise._

Shane met the man's eyes, his eyes flickering once over his face, noting the kohl lining his eyes, the trinkets braided into his hair, the braids in the beard. He kept silent, observing the man, preferring to wait for him to speak first, to gather more information on him. 

"Shane." Isabella's voice was flat. "I be hopin' ye tain't plannin' on stayin'. I be wantin' yer ugly mug off o' me ship, one way or 'nother, an' iffen ye be not gettin' off me ship on yer own, I be puttin' ye off me ship by force." 

"I'll not be leaving any time soon, I'm afraid, Captain. You see, I don't have the option of leaving anymore. More's the pity." Shane shrugged indolently. "Who's your companion? Some poor sod you've convinced to come on the trip?" 

The other man frowned. "You don't recognize me?" 

Shane looked him up and down, a sneer on his face. "I should say not." 

The black brows shot upward in a show of surprise that nearly had Shane rolling his eyes. _You do have a sense of the dramatic. You are likely better suited for the stage than the sea._ His thoughts were cut off by the man's reply. 

"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow." 

"Ah." Shane suppressed a sigh of sheer annoyance. "Well, Sparrow. I never did think you'd be so much of a fool as to sail on the Nevermore, no matter what misfortune may have befallen you. It seems I have overestimated your intelligence." 

He noticed Isabella's sudden tension, knowing how much his tone of voice irritated her. Curious, though was the other man's lack of reaction. _Is the man truly daft? No one would allow themselves to be insulted so. Not..._ His thoughts trailed off as he looked down the barrel of a pistol held by Jack, and a smirk spread across his features, a cold laugh welling up to chill the broiling heat. 

"What good do you think a pistol will do you against a dead man, Sparrow?" 

"It's _Captain_ Sparrow to you." The man traded pistol for saber, and Shane's mirth vanished, beneath a hard mask of icy cold arrogance. 

If you wish a fight you are guaranteed to lose, I will not hesitate to give it to you." Shane drew his own sword, still hanging at his side here, his face giving away nothing of what he was thinking. "You will regret coming here, _Sparrow_." He spat the name, giving it a slur that made Isabella frown, as Jack leapt over the rail and onto the main deck, leaving his coat crumpled on the quarter deck in front of the wheel. 


	5. More Fool Be Ye

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks! 

~~~ ~~~ 

**Thae Curst Waters o' Hell (con't)**   
  
I sail on thae curst waters o' hell   
An' pray me soul ter find   
Pray me soul ter escape   
Thae curst demon ship I sail   
  
Me ship it lies on thae bottom   
An' me soul do as well   
Thae deal I made wit' thae devil   
Ter save me own dear crew 

~~~ 

Jack circled the other pirate warily, watching for an opening, a weakness. He knew the other man was doing the same, and this was no duel like he'd had with the Turner boy. _He won't fight fair anymore than you will, Jack. Something the whelp has yet to figure out... unless he's learned something new since I was last to Port Royal._ He stopped thinking as Shane moved forward in a nearly blindingly quick attack, engaging all of Jack's attention. 

Feint and counter-feint, thrust and parry, strike and block. Each moved with a precision that came from a lifetime of fighting for more than the game the nobles turned fencing into, using anything that came to hand to try and distract their opponent, breaking the rules of engagement with flagrent abandon, moving up and down the deck of the rolling ship. 

~~~ 

Isabella watched the two men continue to fight, her eyes straying to the sun, riding high in the sky, nearly noon. If it had been nearer sunset, she might have given Jack the odds of survival. As it was. _Watch yer footin', me lads, I an' me ship donnae need this._ She spun the wheel, the Nevermore responding unlike any ship built a human hand, rolling to port, sending both men skittering towards the sullen lit waters, the duel suddenly forgotten in the desire to remain on the ship, instead of bobbing in the water beside it. 

"Iffen ye be such fools as ter fight on me ship again, I will be droppin' ye in." Isabella glared at the two, the clear clarion tone of command ringing through it. "Thae wind be blowin' steady, an' we be takin' advantage o' it. Set thae sails, or be ye needin' another reminder o' who be runnin' this ship?" 

Shane slid his saber home with an audible click, reacting automatically, a scowl appearing on his face when he realized what he had done. "I don't need to listen to your orders any longer, Captain. I am bound only to a higher...." He snapped his mouth shut as the Nevermore pitched again, sending him stumbling towards the starboard rails, Isabella's eyes gleaming coldly with a sullen red light that was eerily remeniscent of the light reflecting from the water. 

"Ye be aboard me ship, ye answer ter me, or ye be leavin' me ship." Her voice was pure steel, the voice of someone used to being obeyed without question. The voice of a ruthless pirate captain. 

~~~ 

Shane climbed into the rigging, his expression black, his temper seething. _You will regret that, Captain. When I have this ship for my own, and you are nothing more than a figure receding in the distance on some God-forsaken island where no one will find you until you're quite, quite dead. When I and this ship are properly ressurected from the dead._ He began unfurling the sails, tossing the ropes that would allow them to control the sails from the deck down to Jack. 

_And you, Sparrow, can join her. Let the two of you starve together. Without a bullet to end the pain and delerium. No friends for you two but each other._ He snarled silently, raising his face to the hot breeze, his eyes narrowed to angry slits. _I am not going to rot here in hell as you seem so content to be doing!_

~~~ 

Jack watched as Shane made his way to the first of the sails, the lean pirate unfurling them, tossing the ropes down. As he caught them, Jack looked up at Isabella, noting the blank expression on her face, the fixed focus of her eyes. 

"Why are you sailing on these waters if you always come back to the same place?" He watched for a reaction, and there was none except her reply, her voice almost as emotionless as her expression. 

"What be there ter do but sail?" A smile finally touched her lips, but never reached her eyes. "I be sailin' every sea tha' I be on, Cap'n Jack. Nae matter where it be." 

Jack continued to watch her a moment, before leaving the ropes to the other man, earning him an angry glare and a growl from Shane, and strode up onto the quarter deck. Before Isabella could object, he deftly pried her hands from the wheel, and tossed her over his shoulder, carrying her down to what he hoped was her cabin, kicking the heavy oaken door shut behind him. 

"What thae bleedin' 'ell d'ye think ye be doin'?" Isabella glared at him as he set her down, her hands clenched into fists of rage. A quick glance around the room revealed a virtual arsenal of weapons, perhaps not the best place to have taken her if he wished to remain in one piece. 

"You didn't look like you were enjoying yourself out there, luv." Jack grinned sugestively, taking a step towards her. A moment later, he was blinking up at the ceiling, admiring the woodwork, and wondering where on the seven seas Isabella had gotten her impressive right hook. No woman had ever done more than rock him back on his heels, if that much. 

"I dinnae ask ye ter be lookin' after me, an' I donnae need a man ter be tryin' ter keep me happy! I be in me best mood when me ship be sailin' wit' her sails full o' wind, an' me crew listenin' ter me. Nae when sommun ha' a damnable idea o' what 'e think be fun, an' be tryin' ter do sommat tha' I already tol' 'im 'e better nae be thinkin'!" The air around her crackled with rage, and Jack's eyes widened as she dove for a saber tossed over the back of a chair on its belt. 

He rolled onto his feet, drawing his own sword in time to block a vicious downward blow meant to take out half his leg along with some more precious parts of his anatomy. Isabella continued to press the attack, driving him backwards towards a corner. He spun to avoid a strike and the direction she wanted him to go, only to have her grab up another weapon, a nasty-looking little riding crop, in her right hand. 

_Where did she pick up a riding crop?_ The thought crossed Jack's mind as she used the item in question to slash at his sword arm as she struck again. The blow had to have left a welt, and it stung like sea water in a wound. He glanced at her face, to see her eyes blazing with angry black fire, and her hair crackling about her head in a dark halo. _A fallen angel... An angry fallen angel,_ he corrected himself as she continued to drive him back. _Jack, get your mind off her assests, or you're going to be splattered all over those assests...._

Something hit him in the back of his legs, and he leapt up, suddenly trying to keep his balance on a soft surface. 

"If you wanted me in your bed, luv, all you had to do was tell me." He delivered the quip with a grin, and earned himself a stinging blow across the ankles, hard enough to make him loose his balance. Isabella was straddling his chest in a lightening quick move, the blade in her hand at his throat. "D'ye yield?" 

~~~ 

Isabella slowed her breathing with an effort, trying to push her anger down as she held Jack's gaze, letting her sword away from his throat only whern she heard the clatter of his hitting the deck. "Ye fight well, Cap'n Jack." Her voice was quiet as she moved to get off the bed, the crop getting tossed across the room, and nearly shrieked as she was rolled, Jack looming over her, a wicked grin on his face. "Now what ye be doing, ye bloody fool?" She glared at him, her left fist clenching around her not forgotten sword. 

_Just stealing a kiss luv._ "I wasn't the one who started this, darling." His grin deepened as he lowered his head, intent on a kiss, and Isabella growled, bringing the sword hilt up to connect solidly with his temple. 

An expression of consternation crossed Jack's face as he collapsed into unconciousness, Isabella rolling him off her with a grunt, kicking his sword across the cabin as she stood. _Bloody man. Ye will be payin' fer that, ye will._ She smiled grimly, and went to work, hoping the sun would go down before Jack woke up. 


	6. Payment Exacted

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks! 

Thank you, everyone, for the reviews! Oh, someone asked about the little bits of poetry at the beginnings of the chapters. They give little hints about future plot developments, and about Isabella herself. 

Oh, and sorry this chapter is so short. I am having a small problem with writer's block. But with the time break I can put between chapters, I should be able to get past the block, and get more to you soon... within a couple of weeks tops. 

~~~ ~~~ 

**To Find a Dying Soul**   
  
On the black ship Nevermore   
Is a raven with white feathers   
Hidden among the black   
  
Behind the raven's diamond eyes   
Lies a hidden truth that burns   
And melts away the mask 

~~~ 

As the sun set, giving way to a moonless night, Conner pulled on the oars, rowing away from the shore, the first of a small fleet of boats making its way to the Nevermore, the second mate his only companion in the boat. Both prayed they'd find the mortal pirate who'd been fool enough to take up the captain's invitation to be aboard the ship during daylight still alive, and in one piece. _It'd be verra difficult tae explain tae his crew why he came back in a snuff box._ Conner promised he'd go to services on Sundays if the pirate was still alive. He'd even go to confession and let the priest hear every last one of his sins if Sparrow was in one piece. _Of course, I say nothin' about gettin' baptized, because that wife of mine is insistent that happen anyway. Bloody woman._

"Conner, Andrew!" Isabella's sharp bark summoned them to her cabin as they climbed over the rail, and they stared as they entered her private sanctum, and saw Sparrow sprawled on the floor, as if he'd been rolled there, and a smirk on Isabella's face. The reason for the smirk was obvious... if they looked around the room. Jack's sword resided with the rest of her collection, now holding the place where her own used to rest and the pistol was in the top of a chest full of assorted other weapons she'd removed from the ships she'd plundered. His boots and hat were hanging outside the window, though Conner was sure she'd bring them in if the pirate tried climbing her ship to fetch them, and the rings that had once adorned Jack's fingers were in the small chest Isabella was locking. "Take _that_ an' wake it up befer ye be dumpin' it o'er thae side o' me ship. I'd rather nae explain ter thae Pearl an' 'er crew tha' 'e drowned because 'e was unconscious when 'e 'it thae water." 

Conner shook his head, wondering what had happened. "Captain?" 

"He be a fool enough ter ha' made trouble on me ship, an' now I be takin' what I be wantin' fer ter pay fer tha' trouble. Now I want 'im off o' me ship!" 

~~~ 

Jack woke up with a start, finding himself soaked to the skin, on the deck of a ship with two unfamiliar faces looking down at him. 

"He awake?" 

"Think so." The men vanished a moment, and before Jack could say or do anything, he was seized by his ankles and shoulders, and heaved over the side, to hit the waters of the Caribbean with a resounding splash. Surfacing, he glared up at the grinning faces that lined the rail of the Nevermore, among them, Isabella. 

"Ye best be movin' Cap'n Jack, iffen ye donnae want ter be turned inter shark bait." Isabella's eyes were hard and cold, her expression one of anger, and she turned away before he could respond, calling orders to her crew to prepare to sail. 

Jack frowned, noting his boots and hat swinging off the stern of the ship, and began swimming towards them, until the whine of bullet passing near his ear made him pause. 

"Cap'n told ye tae get back tae yer own ship. Or I turn you into a small meal for the local sharks." 

Jack grumbled as he made his way back to the Pearl, ignoring the stares of his own crew as he climbed on board, bereft of everything except most of his clothes. _She even took my boots! Wonder why she stopped there, and didn't have me stripped of everything... unless she was the one taking everything..._ Jack smiled at the thought, waving off Gibbs' questioning look, and Anamaria's raised eyebrow. 

"Follow the Nevermore." He didn't bother to explain himself, simply leaping up to the wheel, a slight grin on his face as he fixed his sights on the Nevermore. _You forgot one thing, luv. I'm Captain Jack Sparrow._

~~~ 

Isabella ignored the ship following them, knowing she could loose him in the fog that would rise with the morning. _One thin' I do be likin' about me fate. I be knowin' thae weather befer any mortal be knowin'._ She rested her hands lightly on the wheel, patiently waiting for the sun rise, and the fog that would come with it, would stay with them to Port Royal. _There I be lettin' go o' Conner, an' from there I be goin' ter Tertuga once more. An' iffen ye manage ter follow me all tha' way, Cap'n Jack, yer more persistent than is healthy._

She closed her eyes briefly, wondering if maybe it wasn't time to let it all go... _Donnae be daft, woman. Ye'll get free o' this, ye will. An' make thae devil himself rue thae day he made a deal wit' ye._


	7. New Insights

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl and her crew, none of them are mine. Much as I might like for the captain to be mine, he's not, and I'll return him to those who do own him in much the same shape I borrowed him in. 

Author's Note: Isabella Raven, the Nevermore, her crew, and the other members of the Raven family are mine. So is the song 'Captain of the Nevermore' that Isabella sings, and the verses of poetry that begin each chapter. Oh, and please send reviews to my e-mail: captainisabellaraven@yahoo.com. Thanks! 

~~~ ~~~ 

**To Find a Dying Soul (con't)**   
  
Under the hellfire skies of red   
Or the darkling deadly storms   
Is a soul shining bright   
  
Hidden by icy cold walls   
And brave faces of mockery   
Lies a dormant soul 

~~~ 

Jack was in a foul mood as the Pearl docked in Tortuga in the thick fog that had followed since that first night, when they'd lost the Nevermore in the blindness of a moonless, foggy night. _I'll find that bloody woman and that blasted ship, and damn her, she'll give me back my effects! Bloody, blasted, bedamned woman._ His thoughts continued to travel in the same circles they had since he'd lost sight of the Nevermore, and his boots hanging off the stern. 

"Cap'n, how long will we be in Tortuga this time?" Gibbs seemed to be the spokesman for the eager crew. Jack could see them all itching to get into port, where they could get drunk, and get a wench... 

"I'll find you all when I want to leave, as usual, Gibbs." He stalked off the ship, looking only slightly better than he had when he'd been tossed off the Nevermore, with a pair of boots on his feet, and a belt holding a single, measly knife around his waist. He prowled the docks, peering at each ship to see if he could discover a familiar figurehead... 

"Yer verra persistent, I'll give ye tha', Sparrow." Jack whirled to see Isabella leaning against a mooring post, a familiar blade resting on her right hip. It looked quite out of place unless one knew she fought left-handed. "Pr'aps ter persistent. Ye donnae ken what could happen ter ye iffen ye follow a ghost ship." 

"It's _Captain_ Sparrow, luv." He smiled grimly. "I want my effects back." 

Isabella raised an eyebrow, a slight, sardonic smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Is tha' all, _Sparrow_? Ye do ken I took them in payment fer thae havoc ye caused. I tain't givin' them back ter ye." 

Jack's eyes darkened, and he took a step towards the pirate woman, and a blade touched the side of his neck, held steady in Isabella's hand. 

"Tak' a step closer, an' ye'll be breathin' blood, Sparrow." Her voice was flat, her expression blank except for her eyes, which glittered with a strange combination of emotions Jack couldn't read. He regarded the blade a moment, then shrugged. 

"It's my blade, luv. I'd rather not clean it off of my own blood, if you don't mind." He grinned, trying to encourage her to lower the sword so he could regain some control of the situation. 

~~~ 

Isabella let the corner of her mouth lift in a knowing smirk. "Ye tain't be needin' ter do tha', e'en iffen ye do step closer ter me. I be thae one who ha' thae honer o' cleanin' it now, unless ye wish ter become me cabin boy?" She chuckled softly at the expression on his face, one of mingled disgust and amazement that she would suggest such a thing. "I see ye donnae like thae idea. An' ter be honest, it merely be an amusin' idea ter me. Ter see a full-grown man runnin' errands a boy o' twelve be thae one suited fer." 

"I don't find it amusing, Captain Raven." 

Isabella frowned. "Ye didnae stand on formalities befer. What would make thae infamous Cap'n Sparrow do such a thin'?" 

His brown eyes met hers with an unreadable expression. "What game are you playing, Captain Raven? You play by a very odd set of rules, and I am playing blind." 

Isabella sighed, suddenly weary, sheathing the sword, though she held up a hand when he took a step closer. "Ye want to ken all? I told ye what ha' happened ter me an' me ship. What I be now, an' why ye cannae find me under thae sun or moon. What mer d'ye want? I cannae tell ye any mer, because there nae be anymer ter tell!" She sighed, shoving past him towards her ship. "Long life ter ye, Cap'n Sparrow. I be hopin' ye ha' better luck than e'er I did." 

"You haven't told me everything. You haven't told me all the rules of the game." His voice was low, and Isabella whirled. 

"I be not playin' a game, ye bloody fool! I be only tryin' ter find a way out o' thae half-life I be doomed ter fer thae rest o' time. Cannae ye leave me be?" Her eyes blazed with anger, though what lay behind it wasn't something she'd ever admit to. _He be nothin' ter me. Nae but some idiot fool o' a man._

~~~ 

Jack watched Isabella's expression as she spoke, noting the fire in her eyes, not the hell red that they were when she wasn't feeling anything real, but the spitting black that he had seen a few times before. The duel, and on the cliff, when she was threatening the devil himself. Anger, and something more, a spark of interest. He grinned, and Isabella drew back, a frown of confusion on her face. 

"What ye be grinnin' at, ye blasted fool?" 

"Care for a drink, Isabella?" He offered his arm, and she gave him a suspicious look, taking a step back. 

"What ye doin'?" 

Jack raised his eyebrows, his eyes widening in a display of mock innocence. "I'm just offering to buy you a drink, luv. No harm in a drink, is there?" 

She shook her head, and warily walked with him into Tortuga itself, in search of a relatively decent inn to buy a drink from. 

_And a room for the night,_ Jack thought, with a certain amount of glee to it. Finding a place that suited the purpose he had in mind, he swept Isabella into the common room in front of him, and snagged two tankards of rum from a bar wench as he found a newly empty table, and sat the two of them at it. 

"Yer up ter sommat, Cap'n Sparrow..." 

"Call me Jack." 

Isabella eyed him oddly, but she nodded. "Yer up ter sommat, Jack, an' I be wantin' ter know what. An' iffen ye be thinkin' ter seduce me, it takes a lot mer than gettin' me drunk ter do tha'." 

Jack merely smiled, taking a healthy swig of his tankard, which he found was full of rum. Whenever it was empty, or Isabella's was, he'd beckon the bar wench over to bring more, until he thought to go over, and ask for a room for the night. He grinned when the owner rolled his eyes, handing him a key. 

He stumbled back to Isabella, who had a bit of a grin on her face, and was swaying a bit in her chair as he held out his hand. She smiled, a slight, drunken giggle emerging from her as she took it, pulling herself into a fairly upright position. Jack caught her as she nearly toppled against him, and she looked up at him a moment from where he held her against his chest, sudden horror blooming in her eyes. 

She struggled out of his grip, much to Jack's surprise, and backed away from him, suddenly very much sobered. "Nae. Ye dinnae e'er ha' thae sense ter run." Her voice was soft, her expression suddenly very much afraid, as she took the sword off her belt. "Take yer sword, an' donnae follow me nae mer." She spun, and ran, leaving Jack staring after her, his saber held in loose fingers as he tried to figure out what the hell had just happened. 


End file.
